Department for Transport

Crossrail Line

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the heights of station platforms above rail at all stations where Crossrail trains are planned to stop; whether there are any differences from the standard height of 915mm for Network Rail stations; how will assistance to those with mobility difficulties be provided where there are different heights; and whether the Office of Rail and Road authorised any such derogations.

baroness sugg: At the following stations on the Crossrail route the platforms will be built at a height of 1100 mm above rail level to achieve level boarding and enable full accessibility from street to train without the need for a ramp: PaddingtonCustom HouseCanary WharfWoolwichBond StreetTottenham Court RoadFarringdonLiverpool StreetWhitechapelAbbey Wood (Crossrail platforms only) All other stations on the Crossrail route will have legacy platforms already in place which are at an average height of 1000mm in the eastern section and an average of 850mm in the western section. These stations will be step-free to platform level and will be staffed at all times that the trains are running, and provide a turn up and go service for anyone needing a ramp to get onto trains. A derogation is unnecessary as the Secretary of State for Transport issued a dispensation against the relevant notified national technical rule under regulation 46 of the Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011. The national rule height of 915 mm is set out in the UK’s notified national technical rule (Railway Group Standard GI/RT 7016: Interface between station platforms track and trains).

Bus Service Operators Grant

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 2 May (HL7047), what evidence there is that local authorities have used the Bus Operators' Grant to fund supported bus services, which they had previously supported from their own funds.

baroness sugg: The Bus Services Operators grant (BSOG) devolved to Local Authorities is ring-fenced and may only be used for the purposes of supporting bus services. At year-end the Chief Executive and Chief Internal Auditor of each recipient authority must return a declaration to the Department for Transport that the grant conditions have been complied with. It is up to individual local authorities to choose how they spend un-ringfenced funding, however local authorities are required to report annually on their spend.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction Labour Market in the UK Review

lord murphy of torfaen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the Farmer Review of the UK construction labour model.

lord henley: The Government supports the implementation, in full or in part, of nine of the ten recommendations made by the Farmer Review. We have already incorporated the review’s findings and recommendations into policy development. This includes measures to increase housing supply in the Housing White Paper, a review of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), additional funding for adult retraining in construction skills and a ‘presumption in favour of offsite construction’ (by 2019) across five major procuring Departments. In addition, Mark Farmer is chairing a stakeholder group (for MHCLG) which is examining barriers to finance for offsite housing.Importantly, the Industrial Strategy White Paper (November 2017) announced an ambitious Sector Deal for construction to transform construction productivity by boosting innovation, increasing adoption of digital and manufacturing technologies, and improving procurement and the supply of skills to the sector. This is underpinned by £170m investment in R&D in the sector from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Going forward, Government and the Construction Leadership Council will continue to support the modernisation agenda set out in the Farmer Review through implementation of the Sector Deal.

Work Experience

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expectto achieve their aim to “stamp out illegal unpaid internships”, as pledged in their response to the Taylor review of modern working practices.

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to raise awareness of existing legislation on the use of unpaid internships among employers and workers; and when they will issue updated guidance in this area, as pledged in the their response to the Taylor review of modern working practices.

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be involved in their intelligence-led enforcement against employers who use unpaid interns, as pledged in their response to the Taylor review of modern working practices.

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will assess whethertheir approach to eradicating unpaid internships has been effective, as pledged in their response to the Taylor review of modern working practices.

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish a list of their (1) meetings held in the past year, and (2) forthcoming meetings with sector bodies or employers to discuss the use of unpaid internships, as pledged in their response to the Taylor review of modern working practices.

lord henley: The Government is committed to cracking down on worker exploitation in the labour market. This includes the exploitative use of unpaid interns. We continue to invest heavily in minimum wage enforcement, increasing the budget to £26.3 million for 2018/19, up from £13 million in 2015/16. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) follow-up every worker complaint it receives and takes enforcement action against employers underpaying the National Minimum Wage (NMW). HMRC also conducts proactive, targeted enforcement in sectors or areas where there is a higher risk of workers not being paid the legal minimum wage. HMRC is prioritising employers of unpaid interns as part of this work. For example, HMRC routinely contacts employers who advertise unpaid internships, signposting them to NMW guidance to help ensure they are compliant. HMRC has contacted over 1,000 employers in this way since last year. The Government discusses NMW obligations with employers and worker groups frequently. This includes the issue of exploitative unpaid internships. In line with the commitments made in the Taylor review of modern working practices, the Government will hold a roundtable with employers and leaders from sectors that commonly use interns, to increase awareness of existing legislation. This is scheduled to take place before summer recess. The Government also committed to updating public guidance for employers and workers on the rules for paying interns. I can confirm that changes will be published over the summer alongside other updates to NMW guidance. The Government continually assesses the effectiveness of its approach to NMW enforcement, including the approach taken with respect unpaid internships. We will continue to monitor the use of unpaid internships through our regular stakeholder engagement and will publish further details on progress made in enforcement of the NMW over the summer.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning Israel's Settlements Regularisation Law and the test case to be held before the Israeli Supreme Court on 3 June;and what assessment they have made ofthe letter from Lawyers for Human Rights to the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​As the UK made clear in our statement of 7 February 2017 we condemn the passing of the Land Regularisation Law by the Knesset. This damages Israel’s standing with its international partners. This law paves the way for significant growth in settlements deep in the West Bank, threatening the viability of the two-state solution. I received the letter from Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR) outlining their concerns. I replied to the LPHR on this issue on 11 May.

Egypt: Female Genital Mutilation

baroness sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussionsthey have had with the government of Egypt about the importance of ending the practice of female genital mutilation in that country.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is helping to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) by supporting and accelerating the Africa-led movement to end FGM. Her Majesty's Government is the largest international donor working to end the practice internationally – our flagship £35 million regional programme, is providing community level programming and support to national government in17 countries across Africa, including Egypt. Joanna Roper, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Special Envoy for Gender Equality visited Egypt in September 2017, and hosted an event on FGM attended by members of the international community.

Burma: Armed Conflict

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Burma regarding the recent military offensive by the Burmese army in the Mutraw district of Karen State.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We regularly raise concerns about the ongoing conflicts in Burma but have had no specific discussions with the government of Burma about the recent military offensive in Karen State. In a statement published on the gov.uk website on 11 May, the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific restated the UK's commitment to supporting the triple transition in Burma: from military rule to democratic civilian government, from conflict to peace, and from a closed economy to an open one.

Saw O Moo

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Burma regarding the killing of human rights defender and community leader Saw O Moo by the Burmese Army on 5 April.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not raised the case of Saw O Moo with the government of Burma. The UK remains committed to supporting human rights and the rule of law in Burma and will keep this case under review.

Department of Health and Social Care

Contraceptives

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 1 May (HL7025), which three GP practices opt out of providing contraceptive services to their registered patients.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 1 May (HL7025), how many patients are affected by the three GP practices opting out of providing contraceptive services to their registered patients.

baroness barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord O'Shaughnessy on 1 May (HL7025), what arrangements NHS England has put in place to ensure that affected patients can easily obtain contraceptive services elsewhere.

lord o'shaughnessy: Due to data protection requirements, we are not able to name the three practices as this could lead to identification of individuals working at these practices.The current general practitioner (GP) contract allows practices to opt out of providing contraceptive services to their registered patients. For any GP practices opting out of providing contraceptive Services, the clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) would advise the local authority that the practices in question were no longer providing that service. The local authority would subsequently ensure provision for the affected patients through their commissioned services. The practices would have to inform their patients on where they could access contraceptive services.

Food: Safety

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord O'Shaughnessy on 26 April (HL Deb, col 1654), whether it has been agreed with the EU that "during the implementation period we will continue to access food information-sharing systems. We will continue to have food risk assessments carried out on our behalf by the European Food Standards Authority, and the Commission will make risk-management decisions that affect the UK".

lord o'shaughnessy: The United Kingdom’s access to food information-sharing systems in the Implementation Period, as well as its relationships with the European Food Safety Authority, for risk assessment, and the Commission, for risk management, will be determined by UK-European Union negotiations. It is of mutual interest for the UK and the EU to continue to work closely, and to build upon the strong relationships that currently exist. The priority for the Food Standards Agency, and the Government, as we leave the EU is to maintain the current high standards of food and feed in the UK.

Health Services: Directors

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will announce the details of the review into the use of the fit and proper persons test recommended by Dr Bill Kirkup in the Liverpool Community Health Review.

lord o'shaughnessy: Following Dr Bill Kirkup’s recent review of Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust the Government has accepted the report’s recommendation to undertake a review of the Fit and Proper Persons Requirement.My hon. Friend the Minister of State (Stephen Barclay) set out the aims of the review on 8 February 2018 stating the review will need to address the operation and purpose of the fit and proper test, including but not limited to:- where an individual moves to the National Health Service in another part of the United Kingdom;- where they leave but subsequently provide healthcare services to the NHS from another healthcare role, such as with a charity or a healthcare company;- where differing levels of professional regulation apply, such as a chief executive who is a clinician compared to one who is a non-clinician;- where there is a failure to co-operate with a review of this nature and what the consequences of that should be; and- reviewing the effectiveness of such investigations themselves when they are conducted.The Minister of State visited Liverpool Community Health on 18 May and met the Chief Executive Officer and other Liverpool health leaders on 10 May.The Department has appointed a QC to lead the review and is working to finalise the Terms of Reference. We expect to be able to provide an update on the review during the week commencing 21 May.

Department for International Development

West Bank: Water

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to discuss with the Palestinian Hydrology Group an equitable basis for sharing the available water in the West Bank.

lord bates: DFID works with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to support up to 1 million Gazans by providing clean water and rehabilitating sanitation facilities. DFID is also developing a new economic development programme which will help to address the lack of safe water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories through a range of activities, including by: enhancing the domestic desalination capacity; increasing capacity to import more water; and reforms and institutional capacity building to Palestinian water agencies. There are no plans at present to discuss an equitable basis for sharing the available water in the West Bank with the Palestinian Hydrology Group.

Developing Countries: Corruption

lord mcinnes of kilwinning: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries have received anti-corruption support funded by the UK since 2015.

lord bates: Countries that have received UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) for anti-corruption support1 in 2015 and 2016 are listed below:CountryUK ODA contributor involvedCountryUK ODA contributor involvedCountryUK ODA contributor involvedAfghanistanCSSF, DFID and FCOIndiaDFID, FCO and Prosperity FundPeruFCOAlbaniaFCOIndonesiaBEIS, DFID, Prosperity Fund and FCOPhilippinesFCO and Prosperity FundAlgeriaFCOIraqFCORwandaDFID and HMRCAngolaFCO and Prosperity FundJamaicaCSSF, DFID and FCOSenegalFCOArgentinaFCO and Prosperity FundJordanDFID, FCO and Prosperity FundSerbiaCSSF and FCOArmeniaCSSF and FCOKenyaDFID, FCO and HMRCSeychellesFCOBangladeshDFIDKorea, Dem. Rep.FCOSierra LeoneDFID, FCO and HMRCBelizeFCOKosovoCSSF and FCOSomaliaCSSF and DFIDBoliviaFCOKyrgyz RepublicDFID and FCOSouth AfricaDFID, FCO and Prosperity FundBosnia-HerzegovinaCSSF and FCOLaosFCOSouth SudanDFIDBrazilFCO and Prosperity FundLebanonDFIDSri LankaFCOBurmaDFID, FCO and Prosperity FundLesothoHMRCSt. HelenaDFIDCameroonFCOLiberiaDFIDSudanDFID and FCOChileFCO and Prosperity FundMadagascarFCOSyriaFCOChinaFCO and Prosperity FundMalawiDFID, HMRC and Scot GovTajikistanDFIDColombiaCSSF, FCO and Prosperity FundMalaysiaFCO and Prosperity FundTanzaniaDFID and HMRCCongo, Dem. Rep.DFIDMauritiusFCOThailandFCO and Prosperity FundCosta RicaFCOMexicoFCO and Prosperity FundTunisiaFCOCote d'IvoireFCOMoldovaDFID and FCOTurkeyFCO and Prosperity FundDominican RepublicCSSFMongoliaFCOUgandaDefra, DFID and HMRCEgyptBEIS, DFID and FCOMontenegroFCOUkraineCSSF, DFID, FCO and HMRCEthiopiaDFID, FCO and HMRCMontserratDFID and FCOUruguayFCOFormer Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaFCOMoroccoFCOUzbekistanFCOGambiaFCOMozambiqueDFIDVietnamDFID, FCO and Prosperity FundGhanaDFID, FCO and HMRCNamibiaFCOWest Bank & Gaza StripDFIDGuatemalaFCONepalDFIDYemenDFIDGuineaFCONigeriaDFID, FCO and Prosperity FundZambiaDFIDGuyanaDFID and FCOPakistanCSSF, DFID, FCO and HMRCZimbabweDFIDHondurasFCOPanamaFCO   1. Anti-corruption activities cover support to anti-corruption organisations and institutions, public finance management, public sector policy and management, tax and administrative support, mining policy and administrative management, and sub-national government. Some projects cover multiple countries; ODA data categorises these as “Developing Country, unspecified” or as regional spend.UK ODA data for calendar year 2017 will be published in autumn 2018.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byEarl Howe on 3 May (HL7372), what is the criteria for the delivery of the UK's £2.71 billion in humanitarian aid to the people of Syria; how it is allocated; and who will receive it.

lord bates: The UK concentrates its humanitarian efforts in Syria on helping those most acutely in need. We have now committed £2.71 billion to the Syria Crisis to date, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. Of this, £2.3 billion has already been allocated by DFID to implementing partners including £910 million for humanitarian projects in Syria, and over £1.4 billion for projects in the region supporting Syrian refugees and host communities. DFID is currently funding 15 agencies implementing projects in Syria, including UN agencies, international NGOs, and some private sector companies. Since 2012, our support has provided life-saving support to millions of Syrians, including over 22 million food rations, 9.9 million medical consultations, and over 9 million relief packages across Syria.

Department for Education

Higher Education and Research Act 2017

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, including progress against commitments made by ministers during its passage through Parliament.

viscount younger of leckie: The government has made good progress on implementing the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 (HERA). To date, we have laid five pieces of secondary legislation. They have established the Office for Students (OfS) and given it powers to run the new regulatory system. They will also enable OfS to run the current system in the transitional period, which started on 1 April 2018 and will end on 31 July 2019. The new system will be fully operational on 1 August 2019, which will allow for a smooth transition between regulators. Since the act gained royal assent, the government has carried out a wide range of consultations for the OfS. This resulted in the publication by OfS of ‘Securing student success: regulatory framework for higher education in England’. This regulatory framework, attached, is an important element of delivering the reforms promised by HERA. These consultations also met many of the non-legislative commitments made during the passage of HERA through Parliament. The attached table outlines non-legislative commitments made during the passage of HERA that have been met to date.



Table of non-legislative commitments
(Word Document, 21.7 KB)




OfS report
(PDF Document, 1.6 MB)




Teaching Excellence Framework
(PDF Document, 644.08 KB)

Offences against Children

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what comparative assessment they have made of the incidence of neglectof children (1)in mainstream schools, and (2) who are home-schooled.

lord agnew of oulton: The duty on local authorities under the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need, including where children are at risk of or experiencing neglect, applies regardless of where children are educated. Data on children educated at home is not collected on a national basis, and therefore no assessment has been made of the incidence of neglect of these children compared to those educated in mainstream schools. Data and analysis from the attached ‘Children in Need’ review, published in March 2018, shows that for all children, 17.6% of assessments made following a referral to children’s social care identify neglect as a factor; this has not been broken down by educational setting. The most recent triennial analysis of serious case reviews, published by the NSPCC in 2016, references four cases where children who were abused and neglected had been educated at home. On 10 April 2018, the department launched a call for evidence on home education, which covers the issues of registration, monitoring and support for families which educate their children at home. Additionally, we are consulting on revised guidance for local authorities and parents, and the draft guidance addresses the interface between home education and safeguarding issues. The consultation is attached. 



Children_in_Need_of_help_and_protection
(PDF Document, 1.54 MB)




Elective_ home_education_call_for_evidence
(PDF Document, 231.13 KB)

Ministry of Justice

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Bristol

baroness corston: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the premises at Eden House, Bristol have been sold by the National Probation Service; and if so, when they were sold and to whom.

lord keen of elie: Eden House was placed on the open market in June 2016 and sold at auction on 28 February 2017. The sale to Says Court Properties Limited was completed on 12 May 2017. The property was sold subject to the existing Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) lease which runs until 2022. This protects the CRC’s interest in this property until the end of their contract.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made ofthe extent to whichcuts to legal aid provisionwere a factor in the Windrush immigration issue.

lord keen of elie: While an assessment has not been made, the Government is reviewing the impact of legal aid changes made under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), assessing the changes against their legislative objectives. This review will include changes made to provision of legal aid for advice on immigration matters. The Home Office are putting in place a dedicated Windrush case-working team which will help those affected through the system. The Home Office is ensuring that the process will not require anyone to seek legal advice.

Legal Aid Scheme: Immigration

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to reinstate legal aid for those seeking to challenge their immigration status; and what safeguards they will put in place to prevent wrongful prosecutions by the Home Office.

lord keen of elie: Early legal advice is available for all legal cases within the scope of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), subject to means and merits tests. Legal aid remains available for individuals seeking advice on claiming asylum or challenging their detention under immigration powers. This includes applications and appeals against asylum decisions, and judicial review of certain immigration issues, subject to the applicant passing the statutory means and merits tests. The changes made to LASPO are currently being reviewed as part of a post-implementation review. This will include the changes made to the scope of early legal advice and legal representation. The results of this review will be published later this year. The Home Office are putting in place a dedicated Windrush case-working team which will help those affected through the system. The Home Office is ensuring that the process will not require anyone to seek legal advice.

Offenders: Females

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what form the latest review of the decisions to set up community prisons for women and launch a scheme to support female offenders will take; and when it is likely to be completed.

lord keen of elie: Female offenders often have complex issues and needs. This is why by 2020 we will have invested £1 million seed funding to support local areas to respond to the needs of female offenders by adopting a multi-agency, whole system approach, which aims to bring together and improve services at each stage of the criminal justice system. We will also deliver a strategy to improve outcomes for women both in the community and in custody which will be released in the coming months. We want to divert women from custody wherever possible, but some women do need to be held in prison. Where this is true, we want to provide the best rehabilitative regimes possible which are specifically tailored to women’s needs to break the reoffending cycle. We remain committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending, so we can better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction Methods

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that their call to theconstructionindustry to build well-designed homes will also include plans to use the latest methods of construction which maximise energy efficiency and energy saving.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Housing White Paper sets out Government’s ambition to raise the quality of new homes and places, give communities a stronger voice in the design of new housing to drive up the quality and character of new development, and create a housing market that works for everyone. Proposed reform of the National Planning Policy Framework includes strengthening of design requirements.At a recent government design quality conference, the Housing Minister made it clear that quality of new homes is as important as quantity. We expect all housing developers to deliver good quality housing, to deliver it on time, and to treat house buyers fairly.New technology has improved productivity, quality and choice in a range of sectors and we want to see the same happen in housing. Use of modern methods of construction has the potential for improved building performance and durability, including thermal properties and carbon reductions.Our Housing White Paper talks about specific measures to stimulate the growth of modern methods of construction, including how we will help to create a pipeline of opportunities to give confidence to the sector and investors. For instance, our £3 billion Home Building Fund provides support to builders using modern methods of construction, in addition to custom builders and new entrants to the market. The Autumn Budget added a further £1.5 billion to the fund. Our working group is also looking at assurance, insurance and mortgages for modern methods of construction.

Housing: Finance

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding or borrowing approval for housing was returned to HMTreasury in (1) 2014–15, (2) 2015–16, and (3) 2016–17.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Below is a table which sets out the housing budget surrenders made by the Department from 2014/15 to 2016/17.£/ million14/1515/1616/17TotalCapital Financial Transaction381000121050Capital Non-FT  7070Total381000821120Budgets were surrendered in 2015/16 as part of the Spending Review (SR) process. These budgets were secured in future years for the following SR period and had no effect on overall programme delivery.

Housing Infrastructure Fund

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities were unsuccessful in the latest round of bids for funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) operates as a competitive bidding process. We recently announced the 45 places across England we are working with to develop Forward Funding projects. Success at this stage is not a guarantee of funding, as these places will be required to submit a business case prior to final funding decisions being made.We received a high volume of bids from across the country worth almost £14 billion. Up to £4.1 billion of Forward Funding is available to unlock up to 400,000 homes in areas where housing need is greatest.We have already announced the 133 projects that will be supported through the Marginal Viability Funding stream of HIF.

Land Drainage

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage greater use of soakaways.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We are now considering the responses to the consultation on the draft revised National Planning Policy Framework which closed on 10 May. The draft Framework incorporated December 2014’s written ministerial statement (HCWS 161) requiring Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in all major developments (e.g. 10 dwellings or more) unless there is clear evidence against their use. This is in addition to existing policy that expects developments (both major or minor) in flood risk areas to give priority to the use of SuDS. Planning guidance also sets out the kinds of sustainable drainage systems that should be considered according to a hierarchy of drainage options, with discharge into the ground being most favourable.

Fire Regulations

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 30 April (HL6940), which organisation performed the original fire safety tests as specified in BS 476–22:1987 or BS EN 1634–1:2014 on the Manse Masterdor fire doors and gave authorisation that those fire doors could be made available for general sale.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Information on fire doors from Grenfell Tower is part of the Metropolitan Police on-going investigations and it would not be appropriate for us to comment while investigations are under way.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families claiming Universal Credit incur childcare costs above £760.42 per month for one child or £1303.57 for two or more children.

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the maximum amount of childcare costs supported through Universal Credit reflects the cost of full-time childcare for children underthree.

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on childcare providers of payment in arrears of Universal Credit.

baroness buscombe: The information on childcare costs incurred by families claiming Universal Credit is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. DWP has not carried out an assessment of the effect on childcare providers of payment in arrears of Universal Credit. Where claimants start work or increase their working hours, we offer extra support to enable them to pay upfront childcare costs: for example, claimants may be eligible to receive an advance of their future Universal Credit entitlement, which is interest free and can be repaid over a period of 12 months. Work coaches work with our claimants to ensure that where this is taken up, that repayments are manageable. For claimants ineligible to receive a budgeting advance, the Flexible Support Fund may also offer assistance. This fund allows us to provide flexible and discretionary non-repayable support to claimants in financial need to move into work and can be used to help claimants to meet upfront childcare costs so that they can accept offers of work.

Children: Poverty

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research published by the TUC that estimated that the number of children growing up in poverty in working households will be one million higher in 2018 than in 2010; and how this compares to their own research.

baroness buscombe: The TUC figures estimate that an extra one million children in working families will be in relative low income in 2018/19 compared to 2009/10 on an after housing cost basis. During this period, there has been an increase in both the child population and the numbers of people in employment. The overall proportion of children in relative low income on an After Housing Cost basis was 30 per cent in both 2009/10 and 2016/17. This figure is not directly affected by both changes in the population and the increase in children in working families so provides a better assessment of what has happened since 2010. In addition, absolute low income measures, which assess living standards for low income households against inflation, show the proportion of children in absolute low income on an After Housing Costs basis fell from 28 per cent to 26 per cent between 2009/10 and 2016/17. Furthermore, the latest national statistics show the proportion of children in material deprivation and low income has never been lower. Both of these suggest the living standards of children in low income households have been improving in real terms over this period. Children in workless families are five times more likely to be in low income than those in working families demonstrating that work is the best route out of poverty. The number of people in employment has risen by three million since 2010. Increases in the National Living Wage and Tax Allowances have increased the incomes of working families. Around half of working people who are in low income are self- employed or work part time. Universal Credit has been designed to encourage people into work and to increase their earnings in order to improve their living standards.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries: Wales

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having about the future of the Welsh fishing industry; and with whom they are having any such discussions.

lord gardiner of kimble: There have been extensive discussions at ministerial and official level between Defra and the Welsh Government and with representatives of the Welsh fishing industry. We will continue to work together to secure the long term profitability of the Welsh fishing industry as we leave the EU.

Animal Products: UK Trade with EU

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in ensuring the UK will be added to the EU's list of approved third countries for imports of products of animal origin; and what action is being taken to ensure continued reciprocal access for movements of those products fromthe EU, and, in particular, from the Republic of Ireland.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government continues to prepare plans for all exit scenarios. During an implementation period, common rules would remain in place and market access would continue on current terms, in order to provide certainty for businesses and citizens. The precise nature of our future relationship with the EU after an implementation period is still to be determined and is the subject of negotiation. The UK Government is aiming to achieve the freest possible trade in goods and services between the UK and the EU, consistent with taking back control of our money, borders, laws and trade.

Forestry Commission: Land

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hectares of land were owned by the Forestry Commission in (1) 2000, (2) 2005, (3) 2010, (4) 2015, and (5) 2018.

lord gardiner of kimble: The public forest estate in England is owned by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and placed at the disposal of the Forestry Commissioners under section (3)1 of the Forestry Act 1967. Figures for the area of land managed by the Forestry Commission in England are given below. The area includes land in both freehold and leasehold ownership. The majority of this is woodland, but it also includes associated open habitats, some agricultural land and land used for quarries, car parks and built development.  Year endingArea - hectares31 March 2000262,50431 March 2005258,50731 March 2010255,99031 March 2015252,25231 March 2018252,063

Home Office

Deportation

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were theHome Office's annual targets for the removal of illegal migrants for each year since 2010; andhow many people were removed because of inadequate documentation in each of those years.

baroness williams of trafford: My Department’s approach is set out in Sir Philip Rutnam’s letter to the Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, dated 14 May 2018 that my Rt Hon Friend the Minister of State for Immigration deposited in the House Library. We are currently prioritising Caribbean Nationals. The Home Office has been checking records back to 2002 when electronic records began, looking at all removals and deportations of Caribbean nationals aged 45 plus. So far there have been 63 cases identified where Caribbean individuals could have entered the UK before 1973. This means of the total 8000 total deportation and administrative removal records that came up, so far there is a focus on 63, there is something in their record that indicates they could have entered before 1973. Of these, there are 32 Foreign National Offenders and 31 administrative removals. We are now reviewing each of these cases carefully in more depth - including bringing paper files out of storage if necessary - to determine whether anyone who was protected under the 1971 Act was removed or deported unlawfully. This work will be independently assured. This does not mean that 63 people have been wrongfully removed or deported. It is the number of cases which merit further investigation.

Deportation: Jamaica

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the proposed deportation of Yvonne Williams to Jamaica; and what assessment they have made of thepublic interest in preventing the separation of closely related persons.

baroness williams of trafford: There are currently no plans to remove Yvonne Williams and her case is still under consideration. The United Kingdom has a long and proud history of granting asylum to those who genuinely need our protection, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention. Each claim is carefully considered on its individual merits

Deportation: Caribbean

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassure members of the Windrush generation that they will not be deported.

baroness williams of trafford: I recognise the concerns of some people in the Windrush generation and I would not want anyone who has made their life in the UK to feel unwelcome or to be in any doubt of their right to remain here.The Home Office has put additional safeguards in place to ensure that no-one from the Windrush Generation will be subject to enforcement action, regardless of whether they have documentation or not.

Immigration: Caribbean

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reassure members of the Windrush generation about the legality of their immigration status.

baroness williams of trafford: I would not want anyone from the Windrush generation who has made their life in the UK to feel unwelcome or to be in any doubt of their right to remain here.We have identified influential faith leaders in key cities throughout the UK and Caribbean community groups who will cascade our messages to the Windrush generation. We will identify 10-15 outreach community ambassadors who will carry out this activity This will include churches, community events and local businesses, in around 400 African Caribbean touch points in five key cities including: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol.Individuals can contact the dedicated Home Office taskforce to help the Windrush Generation and other long-term residents to evidence their right to be in the UK and to access the necessary services and benefits. They can contact the Home Office, by telephone on 0800 678 1925 or by emailing commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

Immigration

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that Home Office immigration services are fit for purpose following the Windrush scandal.

baroness williams of trafford: What happened with the Windrush cohort should not have happened. We value the contribution made by Commonwealth citizens who have made a life in the UK and would not want anyone to feel unwelcome or to be in any doubt of their right to remain here.To ensure that events of this nature do not happen again, the Home Secretary has announced that we will bring independent oversight and challenge to an internal lessons learned review already underway in my department.The review will seek to draw out how members of the Windrush generation came to be entangled in measures designed for illegal immigrants; why that was not spotted sooner; and whether the right corrective measures are now in place. The review will take into account the experiences of those involved and wider reflections on Home Office culture as a whole.The Home Secretary has asked for the review to aim to complete its work before summer recess.

Islam

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 30 April (HL Deb, col 1845), what elements ofthe Lord Bishop of Leeds' question gave the Minister cause to say that "the right reverend Prelate is right".

baroness williams of trafford: The Lord Bishop of Leeds was right in that it is wrong to bear false witness against your neighbour. In Parliament, it would be against the Ministerial code to do so.

Department for Exiting the European Union

European Parliament

lord balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government who participated in the UK delegation at the recent meeting held between the Prime Minister and representatives of the European Parliament; who participated on behalf of the EU; and whether they will publish a note of what was discussed and what conclusions were reached.

lord callanan: Delegates to a conference in London organised jointly by the International Democrat Union and the European People’s Party attended a reception at Downing Street on 26 April hosted by the Minister for Small Business, Consumers, and Corporate Responsibility. It was attended by a number of MEPs as well as representative of European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and European business associations.

National Security

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made progress in securing a Brexit deal on security.

lord callanan: We have continued to build on the progress we made at March European Council, by jointly publishing the topics for discussion on the future framework. This incorporates both the economic and security partnerships outlined by the Prime Minister. The Government is clear that we must do whatever is most practical and pragmatic to provide security for our citizens. We therefore intend to develop a new security partnership with the EU that builds on the breadth and depth of our shared interests and values, and thus goes beyond any existing third country arrangements. We want to continue to cooperate with the EU on all aspects of our security relationship from foreign and defence policy, to law enforcement and criminal judicial cooperation.

EU Budget: Contributions

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 10 May (HL7370), whether they will now answer the question asked, namely which EU member states are (1) net beneficiaries, and (2) net contributors, to the EU budget; and what are the approximate total (a) net contributions, and (b) net receipts, of each member state.

lord callanan: As stated in my answer to Question HL7370, Her Majesty’s Treasury release an annual report, European Union Finances (the latest of which, relating to 2017, was released in March 2018). European Union Finances 2017 is available at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/691017/EU_finances_2017_Cm9576_web.pdf This report details the UK’s financial relationship with the EU, including our contributions, receipts and rebate. Chart 3.C (p13) details each member state’s average net contribution to the EU budget as a percentage of gross national income for the years 2012-2016. The financial relationship between the EU and other member states are detailed in the European Commission publication, the EU Budget Financial Report, the most recent of these being in 2016. EU Budget 2016 Financial Report is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/biblio/publications/2017/financial-report_en.pdf This report includes a breakdown of member state contributions (p33-34) and receipts (p38). 



EU Finances 2017
(PDF Document, 1.46 MB)




EU Budget 2016 Financial Report
(PDF Document, 6.78 MB)

Borders: Northern Ireland

lord kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on 5 September 2017 (HC Deb, col 55), what progress they have made in achieving a non-visible border between Northern Ireland and Ireland using the most up-to-date technology.

lord callanan: The UK Government has been clear that there will be no physical infrastructure or related checks and controls at the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. As we have always said, the best solution is to solve the Northern Ireland and Ireland border through the deep and special partnership between the UK and EU, recognising the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland. We have set out our clear commitments on the border as well as put forward two potential customs models. As the European Commission itself acknowledged, solutions to the Northern Ireland border can not be 'based on precedent'.